The manufacture and installation of recessed lighting is complicated by the required adherence to building codes and regulations. In the past, the combination of a recessed ceiling lighting housing—or “can”—and a separate recessed fire-rated drywall box was required when installing an overhead light fixture in order to create a space between the can and surrounding insulation. The purpose of the space is to prevent fire hazard such as in the event of an electrical failure. The can held the lighting fixture, while the surrounding drywall box provided the required space to prevent fire hazards in the event of an electrical failure. This combination was necessarily accompanied by at least one separate junction box, in which through-branch wiring connections were routed for each overhead downlight connected in the circuit.
Recently, compact junction lighting boxes have been developed that retain the combination of a fire-rated recessed lighting fixture, while also allowing the wiring connections afforded by traditionally-separate junction boxes. This combination junction lighting box provides both the lighting housing and the electrical junction box requirements in a single unit. Importantly, the new combination junction lighting boxes provide fire-rated protection, without the need for the creation of a separate fire-rated drywall cavity surrounding the can that houses the lighting element. When used in conjunction with light emitting diode (LED) lighting, in which heat production and overall lighting module size are reduced, the new combination box provides a multitude of advantages over traditional downlight fixtures and circuits.